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Comparative Study of the Home Range and Habitat Usage of Red Foxes and Gray Foxes in an Urban Setting: a Preliminary Report

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Comparative Study of the Home Range and Habitat Usage of Red Foxes and Gray Foxes in an Urban Setting: a Preliminary Report Comparative study of the home range and habitat usage of red foxes and gray foxes in an urban setting: a preliminary report George H. Rountree III Abstract The shift of human population from rural to urban areas has lead to the rapid loss of rural and undeveloped land to urban development. Little is known about the effect these changes have had on wildlife. Eight foxes, 4 red foxes, and 4 gray foxes were tracked in an urban setting by radio telemetry. Home ranges were evaluated and a significant difference was found between gray foxes and red foxes in Newport News Park, Virginia. Female gray fox home ranges averaged 3.28 km2 and the male gray fox had a home range of 6.54 km2. Female red fox home ranges averaged 2.12 km2 and male red fox home ranges averaged 3.04 km2. The male gray fox had the largest home range, 6.54 km2 and a male red fox had the smallest, 1.47 km2. Analysis of habitat usage indicated that gray foxes preferentially utilized open fields and mixed forest more than expected, and pine and hardwood forests less than expected. In contrast, red fox utilized fields and pine forests more than hardwood and mixed forests. Sound management of red foxes and gray foxes in urban settings must include an understanding of their home range and habitat needs in urban habitats. INTRODUCTION Since 1900, the population of the United States and Japan (1 study) and Canada (1 study), but not in the Virginia has shifted from rural to urban settings United States (Harris 1981; Adkins 1991; White et al. (Serow and Spar 1972; Hall and Gaquin 1997) (Table 1996; Doncaster and Macdonald 1997). 1). Large tracts of forest and farmland have been lost The gray fox (Urocyon cinereoargenteus) is found from to urbanization and what remains in rural and urban southern Canada to northern Venezuela and Colom- areas are becoming fragmented. bia, excluding the central and northern Great Plains Newport News, Virginia is located on the lower and northern Rocky Mountains, Great Basin, Cascades peninsula of eastern Virginia and encompasses an area and Coast range (Fritzell and Haroldson 1982; Trapp of 177 km2. The population increased from 24,523 in and Hallberg 1975). Gray fox habitat is highly varied, 1900 to 171,439 people in 1990, and the city predicts including mixed pine-oak woodlands bordering the population will exceed 200,000 by the year 2000. pastures and fields, bottomland hardwoods associa- Since the 1960s, a continuous string of homes and tions along streams and creeks, citrus groves, railroad businesses has sprung up on a 20-mile corridor from rights-of-way, shrublands, brushy woodlands, and the old urban center of Newport News, leaving no rough rocky or broken terrain (Follmann 1973; Trapp concentration of open land. and Hallberg 1975; Nowak and Paradiso 1983; The red fox (Vulpes vulpes) rivals the gray wolf (Canis Sheldon 1992). A search of the literature found no lupus) for having the largest geographic distribution of reports addressing the effects of urbanization on the any contemporary living terrestrial mammal (Bueler gray fox. Harrison (1995), studying gray foxes in a 1980, Nowak 1991). Red foxes in North America are rural setting in New Mexico, found that home range found from the Arctic to the extreme southern United was inversely affected by human population densities. States (Bueler 1980). Habitats range from deep forest Reported home ranges of gray foxes in the United to arctic tundra, open prairie, and farmlands; the red States vary from 0.3 – 8.14 km2, with males having fox likes areas of highly diverse vegetation and avoids larger home ranges than females (Fuller 1978; Sawyer large homogenous tracts (Ables 1975). The red fox has and Fendley 1990; Harrison, 1995). Home ranges of been studied in urban and suburban sites in England, red foxes in the United States have been reported to be Author’s address: Christopher Newport University, 35 Ivy Farms Road, Newport News, VA 2360 238 Proceedings 4th International Urban Wildlife Symposium. Shaw et al., Eds. 2004 2.06 – 19.9 km2, in Iran approximately 50 km2, in posts. Traps were checked every morning. Foxes were Sweden from 4 – 12 km2, and in England from 0.21 removed from the trap, their fore and hind legs taped (urban) – 10.0 (rural) km2, with males having larger together, and their mouths taped shut. Ear tags and home ranges than females (Macdonald 1987; Major radio telemetry collars were applied, weights and and Sherburne 1987; Ingle 1990; Henry 1993, Reynolds measurements taken, and the foxes were then re- and Tapper 1995; Doncaster and Macdonald 1997). leased. The process was completed in approximately Sound management of red foxes and gray foxes in 10 minutes. Staff of Todd’s Lane Veterinary Hospital urban areas requires an understanding of their home were available to treat any injuries to trapped animals. ranges and habitat needs in these urban settings. With Eight of the 17 foxes trapped were fitted with radio the increasing conversion of wilderness and rural telemetry collars (2 red fox males and 2 red fox habitats to urban development, the need to under- females, 1 gray fox male and 3 gray females). L.L. stand the effects of this loss of habitat on red and gray Electronics radio-telemetry collars, Urbana Electronics foxes increases. This study may help predict problems CE-12 receivers, and Wildlife Materials antennas were other carnivores will face as they attempt to adapt to used to track the collared foxes. suburban or urban landscapes. The objectives of this study were to: Home Ranges Home range in this study is defined as the area used (1) estimate home range sizes of red foxes and gray on a daily basis. It may change with season and an foxes in an urban setting, animal’s age (Burt 1943). Home range differs from territory in that it is not defended. Home range, using (2) determine which habitats within this study site the minimum convex polygon method and excluding are most frequently used by gray foxes and red outliers (Burt 1943; Mohr 1947; Dixon and Chapman foxes. 1980; Samuel et al. 1985), was estimated using ArcView™ (Environmental Systems Research Insti- METHODS tute, Inc. 1996 GIS software). SigmaStat IIä for The study site is located in Newport News Park, on Windowsä (Jandel Scientific Software 1996) was used the southeastern peninsula of Virginia (approximate to evaluate home range and habitat usage for signifi- longitude 76°25´ and latitude 37°10´) and covers cance using the chi-square goodness – of – fit and t-test approximately 32 km2. The approximate boundaries of statistical techniques. the core study area are Ft. Eustis Boulevard on the north side, U. S. Highway-17 on the east side, Oriana Habitat Usage Road/ Old Denbigh Road on the south side and Movements and locations of foxes were tracked and Jefferson Boulevard on the west side with an approxi- plotted with aid of radio telemetry, GPS, GIS, and a mate area of 9.2 km2. Woodlands in the park are night vision scope. Every other day the foxes were dominated by loblolly pine (Pinus taeda), white oak located by telemetry and the habitat in which they (Quercus alba), and sweet gum (Liquidambar styraciflua). were found was described as pine forest, hardwood Numerous small creeks bisect the park. Harwoods forest, mixed forest or field. Fields were clear cut or Mill Reservoir and the regional airport are on the open areas with or without cover vegetation. Foxes southeast side of the study area. Single and multi- within 25m of human habitation, whether or not they family homes, shopping centers, and small businesses were actually seen or radio tracked within the bounds surround the rest of the study site. Elevation across the of a yard, apartment, condominium complex, were park varies little, ranging from 20m to 40m above considered to be near human habitation. A special note MSL. Soil found in this area is Slagle fine sandy loam. was made, if they were actually tracked or seen within Daily temperature average is 14°C, with lows in human habitation. January averaging -2°C and highs in July averaging 25°C. There is an average of 206 frost-free days and RESULTS 119cm of precipitation yearly. Using recent aerial Seventeen foxes were trapped and radiocollared; 8 photographs and ground truthing, the author classi- foxes were included in this study. Four red foxes (2 fied and determined the proportion of the core study males and 2 females) and 4 gray foxes (1 male and 3 areas in pine, hardwood or mixed forests or fields. females) were tracked for a minimum of 2 months, 1 female red fox was tracked for 12 months, the mean Capturing and Handling was 5.13 ± 3.85 months for this study. The day was Foxes were trapped using No. 1 ½ Victor coilspring divided into four 6hr blocks, and each fox’s location padded leghold traps to minimize the chance of injury. was recorded least once every other day during 1 of Traps were baited with commercial fox lure and urine. four 6hr blocks. Trap sets were along roadways, game trails, and scent Proceedings 4th International Urban Wildlife Symposium. Shaw et al., Eds. 2004 239 Home Range male to 80.0% telemetry fixes for a gray female). As a A significant difference existed between the mean group, foxes were found more frequently than home ranges of gray foxes (4.09 ± 1.64) and red foxes expected in fields (observed = 41.5%; expected = (2.58 ± 1.39)(Table 1.) (t(6) = 6.04, p<.01). Mean home 34% of telemetry fixes) and less frequently than range for red foxes and gray foxes combined was expected in hardwood forests (observed = 8%; 3.34 ± 1.62 km2 with a range of 1.47 – 6.54 km2 (Table expected = 14% of telemetry fixes) (Figure 1).
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